European consumers will be getting a special edition Pikachu 3DS XL by the end of the year, but if you're in the mood for something a little more immediate, you'll probably enjoy this next Nintendo Direct reveal. Nintendo announced today that a number of its first-party 3DS titles are now available on the European eShop, including Super Mario 3D Land, Star Fox 64 3D, Mario Kart 7, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D.

Bored with the red and blue 3DS XL variants Nintendo is currently offering? If you live in Europe and like Pokemon enough to let everyone know, you're in luck, because Nintendo has announced that its special edition Pikachu 3DS will be launching in Europe later this year. The handheld, which is bright yellow in color and features a large image of Pikachu on the front, was announced today during the company's latest Nintendo Direct livestream.

There’s a new gaming handheld in town. It’s called the Nintendo 3DS XL. And I couldn’t care less.

Now, those who have been reading my columns on SlashGear know that I’m not exactly the most understanding when it comes to Nintendo products. The devices are nice and all, but when we actually account for their gaming quality – and appeal to the hardcore gamer – I can’t help but feel they fall short. I’ve felt that way about the GameCube, Wii, and the 3DS.

After looking on in envy as the folks in Europe and Japan got to enjoy the 3DS XL, the redesigned handheld has at last arrived in North America. The 3DS XL launched in North America yesterday, sporting a $200 price tag and a significantly larger form. Like its launch in Japan, the North American 3DS XL released alongside the latest side-scrolling Mario game, New Super Mario Bros. 2.

As Nintendo pushes New Super Mario Bros 2 for the Nintendo 3DS and 3DS XL, they're deciding that they need none other than actress Penelope Cruz to don the classic plumber outfit to make the game seem more attractive. The advertisement you're about to see is lengthy, dry, and makes the title out to be just about as dumbed-down a video game can be, with jumping and coin-grabbing as the only two objectives the whole way through. In addition, the impossible nature of the storyline makes the whole spot fall undeniably flat.

Reviewing a product like the Nintendo 3DS XL is a strange affair. The mobile gaming market has changed dramatically over the last several years thanks to the advent of iOS and Android, both offering games that approach the quality of what you would expect to find on a Nintendo or Sony handheld for a fraction of the price. It’s hard to look at the 3DS XL without a cynical eye either given that 3DS sales are starting to slump, with Nintendo recently reporting a decline in revenue and posting a net loss of around $220 million. Is the 3DS XL the boost that Nintendo needs in a world that’s rapidly forgetting the traditional portable gaming handheld? Let’s find out.

Nintendo was counting on the 3DS XL to turn around its ailing fortunes and it looks like the oversized glasses-free 3D console may well do that. The Japanese company is yet to confirm actual sales following the domestic launch, but Enterbrain estimates indicate sales of the 3DS XL beat some of Nintendo's previous portables in the first few days of availability, Famitsu reports.

Nintendo saw Wii sales halved in its most recent financial quarter, the company has revealed, with only a surge in 3DS demand helping gross profit grow. Sales of the Wii console dived from 1.56m units in Q1 2011 to 710,000 in Q1 2012 [pdf link], with Nintendo keen to gloss over the dive in favor of focusing on 3DS sales more than doubling from 710,000 to 1.86m in the same period. Nintendo says the new 3DS XL and the growth of digital game downloads will help rescue the next quarter.